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"If you're not familiar with the Deaf community and Deaf culture, you may have never heard the term "hearing privilege" before. Hearing privilege highlights the things that hearing people do on a regular basis without giving them much thought. For Deaf people to do the same activity, it requires effort and planning; it's not something they take for-granted like hearing people do. That is my basic definition, but I want to let the Deaf community do most of the talking here. So, here are some examples of hearing privilege from Deaf individuals.

1. "You know when you have #HearingPrivilege when you don't have to worry about closed captions being on so you can follow it. Or having to ask the person sitting next to you to repeat the announcement that was said over the PA. Or having to base your friendships off who has the patience and time to be able to fill you in on what's going on around the table. (For those who does this for me, you mean the world to me.)"-Elizabeth Jarvis

2. "#HearingPrivilege is being able to accept a last minute invite and not have to go without access."-Lisa Cryer

3. "#HearingPrivilege: listening to the radio and hearing about upcoming local events that nobody bothers to tell you about because they assume you won't be interested."-Lisa Cryer

4. "#HearingPrivilege is not having to know that your colleagues feel economically burdened by your access and presence."-Joseph Hill (obtained through Lisa Cryer)

5."#HearingPrivilege is my kids being able to take part in every aspect of our family: conversations over dinner, overhearing phone calls with Comcast, listening while the doctor talks to me, the privilege of 'selective hearing'. You can't know how much peripheral learning happens within a family until you meet people who didn't have access to any of it."-Cameo Hunsaker (obtained through Lisa Cryer)

6. "#HearingPrivilege is asking if a 3 year old reads lips." -Valerie Snowflake (obtained through Lisa Cryer)

7."#HearingPrivilege is not dreading family events (or any events in general, really) just because of communication barriers."-Rikki Poynter

9. "#HearingPrivilege is not having to ask the person interviewing you for a fast food job to stop turning their head from you when talking."-Rikki Poynter

10. #HearingPrivilege is being able to go to conventions and conferences on business and not feeling lost in conversation between others.-Rikki Poynter

11. "#HearingPrivilege is saying " Never mind, it's not important".... and not feeling the affect." -Angela Demchuk

12. "#HearingPrivilege is having access to live TV... Live." -Angela Demchuk

14. #HearingPrivilege is not having strangers tell you that you need a device attached to your body to be "fixed". - Lisa Cryer

15. "#HearingPrivilege is skimming past all of these posts because they don't apply to you personally." -Lisa Cryer

If you are hearing, how much privilege do you feel you have because of it? Do you take a lot of things for-granted in your everyday life that would be a lot more challenging if you didn't hear?Did seeing these example make you more aware of the things you take for-granted?

If you're Deaf, can you relate to these example? What other examples would you add? ​Let me know your thoughts! ​

What is International Week of the Deaf?The International Week of the Deaf (IWD) is celebrated each year during the last full week in September. It was first initiated in Rome, Italy in 1958 by the World Federation for the Deaf.It is celebrated in September to commemorate the first meeting of the WFD

Why is IWD important? The WFD states that The International Week of the Deaf is "the only week in a yearthat sees highly concerted global advocacy to raise awareness about the Deaf Community on different levels." Each year, there is a theme for the week. This year, the theme is "full inclusion with sign language". The WFD expands on this theme by stating that "the full social inclusion of deaf people is possible when sign language is recognized and used widely within the society." Below is a video (in ASL with English captions) where I describe what that statement means to me. I will also discuss why IWD is an important time for Deaf ministry organizations, such as DOOR international.

The importance of resources from Deaf people:Here's all the websites I mentioned and gathered information from. I encourage you to check them out and get an even broader perspective on this very important week for the global Deaf community. My perspective is limited by the fact that I am hearing. I highly encourage you to also look at these resources made by Deaf people for Deaf people!

I apologize for the delay in getting this video out. I filmed it several days ago, but it took me awhile to finish the captioning. I am working on getting more efficient with captioning and any tips are welcomed and will be much appreciated! I will continue to stick to my guns and not make any videos live without captions; if everyone doesn't get access at the same time, it's not equal access. And, if you've been following me for any length of time, you know I'm all about equal access! This is video number 2 in my series "The Chronic Chronicles". In the first video, I talked about what it's like living with Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome. In this video, I show you my supplies that help me have a better quality of life!

TRIGGER WARNING: This post deals with the topic of suicide. Your Role in Suicide Prevention: September is National Suicide Prevention Month, so I wanted to be sure to get at least one post in about how we all have a role in doing our best to prevent suicide. The stigma that surrounds suicide is enormous; it's a topic no one wants to talk about. However, not talking about it has serious consequences. The stigma is one of the biggest reasons that numerous people don't get the help they need and, consequently, die by suicide. At this point, you may be wondering what role you could possibly have in suicide prevention. If you've never experienced suicidal thoughts or feelings yourself, never interacted with someone with suicidal tendencies, and you're not in the medical field, you may not feel equipped to offer any help. The best thing you can do at this point is to learn the signs.

The following signs that someone may be considering suicide are taken from the American Foundation for Suicide prevention:

Talking about:

Being a burden to others

Feeling trapped

Experiencing unbearable pain

Having no reason to live

Killing themselves

Behaviors:

Increased use of alcohol or drugs

Looking for a way to kill themselves, such as searching online for materials or means

Acting recklessly

Withdrawing from activities

Isolating from family and friends

Sleeping too much or too little

Visiting or calling people to say goodbye

Giving away prized possessions

Aggression

Mood:

Depression

Loss of interest

Rage

Irritability

Humiliation

Anxiety

What do you do if you think someone is considering suicide? Most people are afraid to ask someone if they are considering suicide. This is totally understandable, for many reasons. It's not exactly an easy topic to bring up. And, you may be afraid of offending the person or making them feel even worse. However, studies have shown that asking someone if they are suicidal does not increase their risk of taking their life. On the contrary, it can actually lower it. Asking someone directly if they are suicidal is not always possible, but it's a very good place to start if it's feasible.

What do you do once you know (or think you know) someone is considering suicide?So, if you ask someone if they are considering suicide and they say yes, what do you do then? Or, maybe the person didn't directly say yes, but you still think they are in danger. If the person is willing, you may be able to take them (or have someone else take them) to your local emergency room or call 911. If they are not willing to go this route, there are other resources that may seem less overwhelming and still help the person in crisis find options for treatment. It's a good idea to have these types of resources handy. You shouldn't handle this on your own; both you and the person in crisis need the help of trained professionals.

US National Resources:National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)People in crisis can call this number and talk with a trained professional that can offer them options for treatment.

Crisis Text Line: Text TALK to 741-741For many people, texting someone is much less daunting than calling them. If the person in crisis is more comfortable texting, this is a great resource. They can text back and forth with a trained professional rather than talking on the phone. This resource is also very useful if the person in crisis has any type of disability that makes it impossible or difficult for them to speak and/or hear on the phone.

This isn't a fun topic to discuss, but it's an important one. So, I encourage all of you to learn the signs and know your resources, because you could end up saving a life!